LOS ANGELES (July 17, 2007) – The Parents Television
Council™ renewed its call on the U.S. Senate to send a clear message
that the broadcast decency law should be reaffirmed and vigorously
enforced despite efforts by the entertainment industry to undermine
the law. This week, the Senate Commerce Committee will review and
vote upon a bill introduced by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) that will
protect children from inappropriate content on broadcast television
by affirming the
FCC’s ability to prohibit the use of profanity and indecent images
during times of day when children are most likely to be in the
viewing audience.

“Congress needs to reassert and reaffirm that profane
and obscene images should be prohibited on the publicly owned
airwaves at times when children are in the audience. Congress needs
to reinstate the FCC’s authority to uphold the decency law after the
2nd Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling that so-called
‘fleeting’ expletives were appropriate to air on the public
airwaves,” said PTC President Tim Winter.

“The heart of this is reinforcing the current
broadcast decency law. The broadcast industry promises
self-regulation, but we’ve seen time and again that these efforts
have either failed or are non-existent. If the entertainment
industry had any intention at all of promoting reasonable
self-restraint, it wouldn’t have sued the FCC on the absurd grounds
that it should have the ‘right’ to air the ‘F-word’ and ‘S-word’
during prime time, nor would it be asserting that a striptease
during the Super Bowl wasn’t indecent. As licensees of the public
airwaves, it’s the broadcast networks’ responsibility and legal
obligation to broadcast in the public interest. It’s clear that the
public wants the Congress to represent it – and not the
entertainment industry – in this regard.

“The Senate cannot wait to uphold its responsibility
to reflect the overwhelming will of the American people on the issue
of broadcast decency. In a March Zogby poll, 79% of respondents
agreed that there was too much sex, violence and profanity on
television. The Senate must act now to protect children and stand
up for the appropriate use of the public’s airwaves.

“The message from parents all over the country
remains vividly clear: a vote against this broadcast decency bill is
a vote in favor of airing the ‘F-word’ and the ‘S-word’ at any time
of day on broadcast television. Contemporary Community Standards –
and not two judges in New York City – are what should determine
broadcast indecency standards. Any Senator who opposes this common
sense measure should be ashamed and held accountable.

“We commend the leadership of Senators Inouye,
Rockefeller, Pryor and Stevens, and thank them for their prompt
attention to this critical issue.”

The Parents Television Council™ (www.parentstv.org®)
is a non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment.
It was founded in 1995 to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence
and profanity on television and in other media. This national
grassroots organization has more than 1.3 million members across the
United States, and works with television producers, broadcasters,
networks and sponsors in an effort to stem the flow of harmful and
negative messages targeted to children. The PTC also works with
elected and appointed government officials to enforce broadcast
decency standards. Most importantly, the PTC produces critical
research and publications documenting the dramatic increase in sex,
violence and profanity in entertainment. This information is
provided free of charge so parents can make informed viewing choices
for their own families.

Parents Television Council,
www.parentstv.org, PTC,
Clean Up TV Now, Because our children are watching, The
nation's most influential advocacy organization, Protecting
children against sex, violence and profanity in
entertainment, Parents Television Council Seal of Approval,
and Family Guide to Prime Time Television
are trademarks of the Parents Television Council.